


Hell Spawn

by Lexyqu



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: ...At some point, AU now, Gen, I promise!, Like, Made the character before his canon appearance, Mild Language, OOC-Egyn, Rin has to deal with a lot of crap, aaaaaand then ch107 happened, but it'll get better, let's just consider him an OC, okido it's official we're abandoning canon, poor guy, see ya!, so AU, so much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-04-27 10:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14423478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexyqu/pseuds/Lexyqu
Summary: No one ever said being the son of Satan was easy. Especially when more of your demonic siblings start showing up and won't leave you the hell alone.(Important: Please read the AN at the beginning of chapter 1)





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 26-10-2018  
> H-hey, long time no see...   
> Eheheh.   
> Uhm.  
> So yeah, since I wrote the first few chapters with no real end goal in mind I got a little stuck, which meant no new chapters. But that's all resolved now so let's get this show back on the road! Some adjustments had to be made in chapters 1-3, so please read those before you continue.

In a darkened room, at an undisclosed location, a hand with claw-like nails hovers over an assortment of delicious snacks brought in to accompany the tea.

Egyn grins at the mouthwatering sight. Everything looks  _so good_ , and without Amaimon or Beelzebub there devouring everything sweet in sight he actually has time to choose.

And it feels great!

After some careful consideration he picks up one of the small cube-like confections, taking care not to damage the intricate decoration on top before promptly shoving the entire thing in his mouth.

“Swo,” he begins curiously, talking around a mouthful of cake and sending crumbs flying. “Way'd'ou call m'here?"

Iblis glares at him, then rolls her eyes upwards as if she's beseeching some deity - Father, maybe - to give her strength, and it very nearly makes Egyn roll _his_ eyes.

He doesn't, of course. Because he's not an idiot.

Just because Iblis looks all calm and collected _now_ , he knows full well the tiniest thing could set her off. She's a lot like their Father in that regard.

Egyn wonders if she'd take that as a compliment.

Millennia spent in close - relatively speaking - contact had taught him how to navigate the minefield that was the King - or Queen, if you wanted to be nitpicky - of Fire's temper. And while he liked to skirt the edges every now and again, teasing and annoying her like only a younger brother could, he doesn't actually want her _angry_. And definitely not if he would be the sole target off her rage. Better leave that stuff for when the brats were around.

"I heard something interesting a little while ago," she says suddenly, drawing his attention again. A flick of a finger sends the teapot floating up, as if lifted by an invisible hand. It begins to fill their cups, and her gaze lingers on the steam rising from the delicate porcelain. "The Impure King was revived in Assiah."

Purple eyes widen in surprise. "Oh?"

Iblis hums, and takes a sip of the fragrant liquid. Egyn peers at his own cup and takes a whiff. Earl grey people call it, right? It's been a while since he'd last had some but the smell is quite distinct.

"And?" he asks when his sister didn't elaborate. “Is Assiah a wasteland of rot now? It can't be." Distaste colors his words. "If it was, Astaroth would be in here bragging about his pet."

Iblis shakes her head. "It was defeated. However, that is immaterial."

Egyn blinks.

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Big Brother's exorcists used some of my kin to fight it," Nothing out of the ordinary there, "and when they failed," again, totally predictable, "Ucchusma went to see what could be done. He told me he met someone near the core."

Iblis turns to him then, her voice never changing from its dispassionate state and glittering garnet eyes the only thing betraying her interest.

"A child, neither human nor demon."

Understanding blooms on Egyn’s face. "Oh. He meant Father's...?"

"What else?"

Egyn shrugged, eyeing his sister carefully. "Maybe Father has more bastards running about," he suggested. The well-timed comment has the intended effect and he has the singular satisfaction of watching his prim and proper sister choke on her tea in a most unladylike fashion.

Iblis slams her cup down with such force that Egyn is surprised it doesn't shatter on impact. Tea sloshes over the edge, evaporating before it even has a chance to hit her skin.

Her glare burns. In fact, the entire room was starting to get uncomfortably hot.

Egyn fiddles with the silk of his shirt collar and quickly gives her his most disarming smile.

“My apologies, Sister.”

After a few tense and unpleasantly hot seconds, Iblis looks away and Egyn can breathe again. Neither speaks for a while. No doubt his sister is weighing the pros and cons of eviscerating him but what else was new. Egyn has never seen the point in worrying about things he can't control and so he just grabs more cake.

"I'm going to Assiah."

And now he's the one coughing. "Eeeeeh? But why?"

Iblis' look makes him feel a little foolish for asking but Egyn shoves the thought aside.

"Amaimon has not returned for some time. No doubt he is with Big Brother Samael. And Big Brother Lucifer is there, too,” Iblis waves her hand, an indistinct gesture, “Somewhere. Assiah is becoming interesting. I want to see what happens from this point on."

With that declaration, Iblis rises from the table and turns to the door, the ragged ends of her cloak trailing across the floor.

"Besides," she murmurs suddenly, catching his attention, "I have yet to meet our littlest brother."

A grin finds its way onto Egyn's face. "Same here. Say, mind if I tag along?"

"Do as you please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you found that enjoyable ^ ^  
> If so, please leave a comment~


	2. Oh Brother Dearest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto has it tough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who finally decided to update...  
> I really am sorry though. Didn't think it would take this long.  
> Please enjoy~

No one ever said being the son of Satan was going to be easy. And if someone did, they weren't right in the head and ought to be put in a cozy little room with padded walls.

No, having the God of Gehenna as his biological father was _definitely not_ easy and people, the ones who knew anyway, tended to look at him funny.

Their eyes filled with mistrust.

Anger.

Fear.

If Rin was being honest with himself that last one hurt most.

Still, he bore it all with relatively little complaint. It wasn't so different from when he was growing up.

He worked hard, just like his dad, his _real_ father, not that psychotic human-candlestick - demon-candlestick? - had taught him. He learned to control his flames and little by little those looks went away. His friends were _his friends_ again. And the other exorcists no longer tensed when he walked into a room, fingers twitching in an aborted attempt to reach for a weapon.

Things were looking up, not just for him but his brother too. Yukio was no longer in danger of going bald at twenty and that was definitely a big plus.

Yes. Life was good.

And because the universe had a sick, twisted sense of humor, that was when they showed up…

 

xXx

 

Night had long since descended on the Land of the Rising Sun, and all across Japan people lay fast asleep in their beds. The inhabitants of True Cross Academy were, of course, no exception. That is to say, the human ones weren't.

Samael, King of Time, sat behind his grandiose desk in his large and absolutely decadent office. His body, though it had at some point been human, no longer required rest as frequently as it once had, his demonic powers keeping it in tiptop condition, the small matter of the cellular degeneration _caused_ by said demonic powers notwithstanding.

Standing before him were several neat and frighteningly tall stacks of documents and files. Their height was his own fault. With Lucifer's declaration of war and his painstakingly crafted wards and barriers in ruins he'd had his hands full. As if to add insult to injury, one of his Exwire students had been kidnapped, on schoolgrounds. And by his own spy no less.

The whole affair would be terribly embarrassing if it wasn’t so very entertaining.

Miss Kamiki had since been recovered, the barrier up and running again, and with reinforcements from various divisions of the Order, he was left with little else to do but the most tedious of tasks.

Paperwork.

Face set in a permanent scowl of displeasure, he worked his way through the workload one file at a time.

Reports were read. Requests granted or denied. His signature here. Another there.

Over and over _and over again_.

An aggravated sigh found its way out through clenched teeth.

It was somewhat amusing, he decided humorlessly while pinching the bridge of his nose, that of all possible things bureaucracy was the one equally abhorrent to both humans and (higher) demons alike. He simply couldn't stand paperwork. Not at all.  

So great was his irritation, that for the briefest of moments he entertained some hope that Amaimon would return from wherever he had wandered off to after being kicked out of the office for being too annoying.

The moment passed but his brother did not appear.

It was for the best, Samael decided, tapping his pen idly against the table.

While Amaimon might offer a much-needed distraction from his work, he was sure it would be done be by stirring up trouble in some way or form. Letting the demon out of his sight at all carried risks but he had better things to do than babysit his wayward younger brother and Amaimon knew very well what would happen if he stepped out of line again.

It had taken months of 'persuasion' but the chairman was confident his brother had been cured of his fits of disobedience, as well as his dislike for their youngest sibling.  

Ah, perhaps the second was wishful thinking. Mephisto knew Amaimon still harbored an intense hatred for Rin but the King of Earth knew better than to do anything that could result in damage to the school or its students.

Which, much to Amaimon's displeasure, included the object of his rage, as well as the other Exwires he so loathed. 

It was quite funny. Watching him get so worked up, all the while knowing he couldn't actually do anything to them. Then again, it would also be nice not to have to remind his little brother to clean up after himself instead of just leaving behind mountains of wrappers after another of his rage-fueled eating binges.

Mephisto pondered whether he ought to send the demon back to Gehenna but decided against it. With Lucifer and the Illuminati breathing down his stylishly cravated neck, having the King of Earth around could be handy, if only as a messenger and occasional soundboard.

His newfound tolerance for Amaimon's continued presence was most certainly _not_ due to some foolish desire for familial companionship. One of the more demonic persuasion, because as entertaining as either of the Okumura twins could be, rarely did they share his idea of a good time.

No, Samael might care for his siblings in his own way, but they were still demons. It wasn't strange to go decades without contact. Why, he hadn't spoken to his older brother in close to, oh, sixteen years or so. And the others... well.

His musings were interrupted by his cellphone blasting out the opening song of his currently favorite anime.

Turning his chair to face the window, Mephisto took the device out of his pocket. He meant to answer it but the words on the screen caught his eye.

“Oh my! Speak of the devil~!”

A predatory smirk bloomed on his face and he lifted the phone and answered.

“Now this is a surprise~,” he purred. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Behind him, the paperwork lay on the desk. Utterly forgotten.

 

xXx

 

“Nii-san. Nii-san!”

Okumura Yukio shook his head and sighed. His brother kept snoring loudly, completely unresponsive to any attempt to wake him. How he could even sleep in that position was beyond Yukio. But then, he reflected, his Nii-san had slept in stranger places.

The young Exwire had somehow gotten tangled in his bed sheets, various limbs extending out at odd, even concerning angles. His tail lay coiled on the floor. Every few seconds the black appendage would twitch, a sure sign his brother would be waking soon. But whether soon meant minutes or another hour was impossible to tell.

Yukio glanced at his watch again. At this rate they would _both_ be late.

Reluctantly, he approached his older brother and reached down. The tail was warm and soft to the touch. Rin murmured in his sleep and Yukio allowed himself a moment to feel guilty before squeezing.

“AAARGH!”

With a scream, his brother shot out of bed and the tail tore from Yukio’s grip.

“Fuck! What the hell, Yukio?! That _hurt!!_ ” The half demon cradled his tail to his chest in an attempt to sooth the ache and shot his brother a teary-eyed glare.

Yukio rose, his glasses reflecting the light, adding to his serious demeanor. “Get up,” he ordered pitilessly. “School starts in 20 minutes.”

“And why the hell couldn't you wake me up like a normal person?” Still, the other boy got out of bed and began rushing about to get ready.

“I tried.” Yukio shook his head again as his brother started hopping around on one foot, trying to get his uniform on. “You wouldn't get up.”

“Then try harder damnit! Don't just go around grabbing people's tails! Not cool, man! AH!”

His brother tripped, face crashing into the floor. Ignoring the curses that followed, Yukio adjusted his glasses and began his customary battle against the migraine which exposure to his brother never failed to induce.

“...Just get ready so we can go.”

 

xXx

 

Despite a hectic morning, the rest of the day passed without a hitch.

Which was why Rin's face quickly soured when Mephisto, in dog form, fell into step beside him as he was returning to the dorm. Yukio was off doing teacher things but had, after a barrage of nagging from Rin, promised to be home for dinner later.

The little dog's tail was wagging faster than the naked eye could see, clearly delighted at the coos and squeals he received from the day school students walking by.

Rin pulled a face.

_Weirdo_

“What do you want?” he asked the mutt once they were out of earshot.

In response, Mephisto gave him a sidelong stare. It was strange, coming from a dog. Especially one wearing a pink polka dot scarf.

“Now now, Okumura-kun. We've talked about this.” There was a burst of pink smoke, and when it lifted Mephisto shook his head in an overdone display of disappointment. “At least _try_ to be more respectful when speaking to your elders. Or you’ll find not everyone is as indulgent as I am.”

Since Rin wasn't about to touch that statement with a ten-foot pole, he repeated the question. Slowly this time.

“What. Do you. _Want?_ ”

“A third season for one, preferably with more screen time for me,” the taller man lamented, chuckling at the question marks now floating around Rin's head. “But never mind that for now~ As to why I'm here, consider it moral support. ♥”

_And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?_

Mephisto smiled that creepy smile of his. The one that said I-know-more-than-you-do-and-I'm-not-telling.

“You'll see soon enough,” the demon assured him before he even had a chance to ask, and gestured to the front entrance of the old building. “Just mind your manners and you'll be fine~”

Rin considered running away. Just hightail it out of there and never look back.

Clearly whatever Mephisto was talking about was inside. And anything that got that freaking clown so damn excited, judging by shit-eating grin he was now sporting, wasn't something Rin wanted to deal with. Ever. 

It was only the knowledge that he'd never succeed at escaping the weirdo that kept him from making a break for it.

Better to get it over with, Rin thought, and, with great reluctance, reached for the handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you guys liked it, and that it was worth the wait. I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter but. You know.  
> No promises.
> 
> Anyways, please leave a comment. Tell me what you liked, didn't like, etc.  
> Since the manga now has a canon appearance of Egyn all my wonderful OC stuff is kind of, well, debunked. But whatever. I'm rolling with it.
> 
> Bye~


	3. The Guests

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go~

Egyn's hands were tucked beneath his head, fingers laced together.

The sky looming above was dark as always, a cloudy mix of purple and red, and a light breeze carried the scent of blood and misery.

 _No place like home_ , he thought, eyes slipping shut in contentment and the ghost of a smile playing at his lips.

He dozed there for a while, slipping in and out of consciousness, then, in a muddled voice, asked, “How much longer do we have to wait?”

Now if there had been crickets in Gehenna – oversized demon ones don’t count, okay – this would have been their shining moment.

Frowning at the lack of response, Egyn cracked open an eye.

“Hey,” he called, sitting up. “Gehenna to Iblis. Anyone there?” She was standing a few feet away, back turned towards him. “I know you can hear me.”

“Please stop talking.”

“I’ll stop when you answer my question.”

“No you won’t,” she muttered, in such a way that made him think he wasn’t supposed to hear except she knew how good demonic hearing was so really, she was just being bitter, before raising her voice to normal speaking volume. “Brother said to be here at noon.”

Egyn scoffed. “Yeah, _noon_. Which was an hour ago. He’s supposed to be master of time and space but he can’t even keep a damn appointment. Asshole.”

“If it bothers you so much, you could always leave. I have no desire to listen to your vulgar complaints.”

“Don't be like that,” he said, stretching his arms and lazily working the kinks out of his back. “You said I could come, too, remember?”

“I do,” she said flatly, casting a glance over her shoulder. “Must you make me regret that decision so soon?”

Egyn shrugged.

In an effort to amuse himself, he began gathering the moisture in the air and compressing it into little balls of water. Once a dozen or so were floating around, he flicked two fingers down. The spheres shot away like bullets. Seconds later the loud, anguished roars of demons tore through the night. Egyn snickered at the dying howls, and, ignoring Iblis’ sigh of disapproval, began forming the next set.

Power rippled behind them as a tear suddenly ripped the fabric of space apart.

“Finally,” Egyn groaned, dropping the spheres. They hit the ground, and the water soaked into the rocks.

The two kings watched the tear expand. Once it was large enough, Iblis stepped inside and was quickly swallowed by the shadows. Casting one final glance at Gehenna's landscape, Egyn followed her into the darkness.

  

xXx

 

It wasn’t Samael who was waiting for them on the other side.

“So he’s late _and_ rude on top of that,” Egyn remarked, quirking an eyebrow at the demon butler. “What do you think, Belial, was it his time amongst humanity that ruined his sense of courtesy or does family simply mean jack shit nowadays?”

To his credit, Belial didn’t so much as bat an eye at the question, but then it could hardly be the first time he’d have had to deal with the backlash of Samael’s crap.

The butler dipped into a low bow. “Allow me to convey my Master’s most profound remorse at this discourteous reception. Please know that there are extenuating circumstances which, unfortunately, I am not at liberty to discuss. However, if Your Highnesses would be so kind as to follow me, I shall guide you to him.

Iblis inclined her head, shooting Egyn a sharp glance before he could fire off another barb. He settled on a shrug instead.

Not like we have much of a choice, he thought as Belial proceeded to lead them through a veritable maze of tunnels and chambers. They varied greatly in terms of age and style, and clearly weren’t physically located anywhere near each other, but architecture had never been an interest of his and Egyn didn’t bother trying to place the exact origin. After who knows how many rooms, the atmosphere changed.

Sunlight poured in through large, unfrosted windows, offering a view of the sprawling city beyond while also making the hallway they were in uncomfortably bright.

Belial took them to another room, an office this time, and seated with his legs crossed atop an enormous desk at the back, unchanged as ever, was Samael.

“Iblis,” their brother greeted genially, eyes shifting from one to the other. “And Egyn, too. My dear siblings. It's been far too long~!”

Samael's expression, one of complete affability, made Egyn's skin crawl.

“Has it?” Iblis asked softly and he blinked, glancing at her in faint surprise. She wasn't usually one for sarcasm, and to use it now…

Evidently Samael heard it as well. His smile widened, turning sharp. “Oh yes,” he said, “Nearly a century if I'm not mistaken.”

“And whose fault is that?” she asked slowly, eyes narrowing slightly as Samael looked her up and down.

When he noticed her expression, he smirked and, ignoring the reproof entirely, said, “This body suits you~! Tell me, how long have you had it?”

Iblis stiffened, anger flashing across her face, and Egyn decided it was time to cut in.

“Fun as it’d be to watch Ibby tear you a new one,” Egyn said in a bored tone, “I for one would like to get on with the reason we’re here. So, 'Big Brother', where would this little brother of ours happen to be at?”

Iblis' glare was nothing short of murderous and Egyn shot her a gleeful grin in return, partly because, well, she looked funny like this, and partly to distract her from the bastard they were unfortunate enough to call an older brother.

Samael for his part merely chuckled – asshole – and slid off the desk.

“In class,” he said. “He'll remain there for another hour. I'll make the introduction afterwards. Until then, the two of you are free to explore the grounds. Discreetly, of course.” His eyes moved between the two before settling on the King of Fire.

“…I trust that won't be a problem?”

“No.”

“Marvelous~!” Samael cheerfully clapped his hands together. “Then if you'll excuse me. A headmaster's work is never finished~!”

And with that blatant dismissal, Iblis turned and stalked out back the way they came. Egyn trailed after her through the empty hallway, counting the seconds. He made it to seventeen before Iblis spoke in a harsh tone.

“I neither required,” she hissed, “nor _wished_ for your assistance.”

Egyn folded his arms behind his head and looked at the ceiling. “Assistance? From me? Sister, the day _that_ happens, marks the eschaton. No. You two were putting me to sleep, that's all. And besides, that’s not what you're mad about, is it, _Ibby_?”

Oh. He might have overdone that one, just a bit, because Iblis turned sharply, looking…

…Well fuck.

“H-hey now,” he tried backing away a little. “Don’t forget where we are…”

She couldn't actually be thinking of fighting him _here_ , could she? Samael would kill them for sure. Egyn didn’t want to die. He still had a good few decades to go with this body. He hadn’t even _begun_ looking for a replacement yet! “I won’t say it again, promise! So just-”

Iblis snarled silently, exposing the elongated canines of their kind, and a hint of true fear ran through his mind.

And then, just like that, the fight sizzled out of her, the mask of indifference slipping back on.

Without a word, she spun and strode down the hall, and with a sort of resigned relief, Egyn followed. 

 

xXx

  

“Samael must reaaaally hate this kid.”

After wandering around the ‘school’ – just how big was this place?! - memorizing its layout and where the densest concentrations of exorcists were located, the two Kings now found themselves on the outskirts of the campus.

The building standing before them, emblazoned with the words 'Boy's Dormitory', was nothing like the rest.

The walls bore numerous deep cracks, half the grimy windows were damaged, and the _other half_ was covered by large cobwebs with fat spiders at their centers.

It was, to put it simply, a complete and utter dump.

“We’re not actually going in there, are we?” Egyn asked when he saw Iblis reach for the handle. “I mean, look at it! This place is a breeze away from turning into a pile of rubble! There’s got to be at least half a dozen goblin nests in there. Not to mention tons of coltar, fungus demons, and-” Egyn kept going, naming everything remotely unpleasant he could think of until, finally, Iblis had had enough.

“Then. Stay. _Outside._ ”

Egyn felt himself break into a wide grin.

Those were the first words she’d spoken to him since their little spat, and okay, maybe she was telling him to get lost but hey, at least they were on speaking terms again!

Apparently he took too long to answer, because she sent him a foul look. Ah, so talking was allowed but she was still mad, huh. Fair enough.

“ _Well?_ ”

“Nah, I’m good,” he said cheerfully, throwing in a salute. “Lead on, Captain!”

With an eye-roll at the title, Iblis turned and opened the door.

The hinges moaned in protest but neither took notice, too busy jerking back to escape the stench of rot that came floating out to meet them.

Initially, all Egyn wanted to do was throw up – Father in Gehenna, Samael sure took cruel and unusual punishment to hitherto unimaginable heights - but the sheer indignation on his sister's face, as if her afront would somehow chase the stench away, was just. _too much_ , and instead Egyn stumbled away, hands covering his face in a bid to smother his laughter.

It worked for about four seconds, and then Iblis glared at him, because how dare he laugh right now, and it pushed him over the edge, quite literally, and he collapsed into a howling, hysterical mess.

“If you’re quite finished,” Iblis muttered after some time. She waited, and when he kept going, said, “Oh for the- enough already!”

“S-sorry,” he gasped once he managed to regain some semblance of control. “B-but, but you've got to-” *snort* “To admit we totally should’ve seen that-” *giggle* “Coming! Pffft hahaha!”

When the hilarity of the situation finally ebbed, and that certainly took a while, Egyn wiped the tears from his eyes and shakily got to his feet.

Damn, he hadn’t laughed like that since he’d stolen Amaimon’s candy stash and hidden it in Astaroth’s place. Sure, it had taken months to clear away the debris from the accompanying temper tantrum – and they’d had to pull poor, traumatized Rothy from the rubble – but damnit it had been worth it.

Ah, even just thinking about it now drew another round of laughter from him. Oh, he’d better stop. Iblis was starting to look a tad upset, a tell-tale flush creeping up her neck, and if there was anything worse than an angry Iblis, it was a flustered one.

Egyn held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop, yeah? Just give me a sec.” Deep breath in. And out again. Egyn nodded. “There. Happy now?”

Iblis folded her arms.

“No,” she said, and turned away.

They looked at the building in not quite companionable silence.

“That never happened,” Iblis said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Egyn made sure to suppress another grin lest she’d see and they’d be back at square one.

“Why, Sister,” he drawled. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the summer! I certainly am.
> 
> As always, feel free to leave a comment. Bye~


	4. Have you considered murder?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nervous laughter*  
> ...H-heey?  
> So that...took way longer than expected but hey, the chapter's longer too so don't be mad? Please?  
> Also, important. I made some changes (noted in the summary) so if it's been a while since you read the previous chapters you'll want to start at the beginning again. Sorry about that -.-

_Better to get it over with, Rin thought, and, with great reluctance, reached for the handle._

~~~

Everything looked… normal.

Old, dirty, a bit too worse for wear, sure, but all that was business as usual. Rin scrutinized every nook and cranny of the entryway, twice, but he couldn’t find anything that would justify Mephisto’s irksome presence.

Speaking of the clown, Rin cast a suspicious glance over his shoulder.

Mephisto looked like the epitome of innocence, complete with halo - how the hell was he doing that?! - and even going so far as to whistle a jaunty tune. Rin felt his eye start to twitch.

_Moral support, my ass_

Whatever, it wasn’t like Rin needed - or even wanted - that clown’s help. No, he could do this on his own. No problem.

Rin closed his eyes, let his breathing even out and his mind go blank.

Almost immediately, dozens of new sensations washed over him like a great flood. But he'd been practicing and managed to drag one from the clamor with relative ease.

Bump…

Ba-bump… Ba-bump…

With the rhythmic thumping of his own heart serving as an anchor, he began drawing out more sounds.

Next came Mephisto’s pulse - difficult as it was to believe that monster even had a heart to speak of - softer and further away. Their rustled breathing and a leaky faucet down the hall followed suit, along with the barely audible skitter-scatter of a rodent's nails as it scoured the floor in search of food.

_Have to tell Kuro about that one later_

When sound offered nothing useful, Rin took a deep breath. Smell had always been easier for him to figure out, more intuitive, and right away a couple jumped out at him.

There was the detergent Yukio had used to wash his uniform. The remnants of soap still lingering on his skin. And…and…?

"Eh…?"

Not quite believing his own nose, Rin took another breath, and then another.

The result stayed the same.

The mold-ridden stench of the dorm, the one that had been abusing his nostrils from day one, the one no amount of air freshener or dried herbs - sorry, Shiemi - could fix, and believe him, Rin had _tried_.

 _That_ smell was just… not there anymore???

Rin should have been happy, overjoyed even, but considering the situation and his current company, that feeling soured real fast.

"What did you do?" he asked, demanded really, spinning around to a jab a finger in the gaudy demon's face. Mephisto smiled, unbothered by both the accusation and the appendage.

"My, my," he said pleasantly. "It certainly is an improvement, isn't it~?"

Rin faltered a little. "I… I guess…"

Mephisto's grin became a condescending smirk. "Oh? What's this? You don't sound very pleased."

"Shut up!" Rin snapped. "All of this is too suspicious!"

But Mephisto just laughed in his face and Rin's eye-twitch returned with a vengeance. He responded by sliding Kurikara off his back, and while doing so did put a stop to Mephisto's stupid chuckles, it was obvious the unspoken threat didn't daunt him in the slightest.

Mephisto rolled his eyes, and in a bored tone said, "That again? Come now, Okumura-kun. Haven't we been over this already?"

Rin's hands closed around empty air.

"Hey!" The teen's eyes flashing around the empty hall. "Get back here, damnit!"

"No need to be so loud," Mephisto said amusedly, suddenly standing right beside him. "In fact, allow me to offer some of that support I mentioned earlier and expressly advise against it."

"Shut up!" Rin swiped at his sword, but it was long gone again.

What followed was perhaps the most unfair game of whack-a-mole in the history of mankind.

Mephisto, being the sadistic mole, would pop up in random places, often the place Rin had previously vacated, and Rin, being a particularly dense mallet, would furiously leap at him, desperately grasping at the sword but never quite managing to touch it.

After having the blasted thing slip through his fingers for umpteenth time, the teen cried out in frustration. "Aaargh! Stop doing that!"

Mephisto laughed, standing before him again and leaning on Kurikara like it was a regular old walking stick and not a centuries old artifact. "Kukuku. Oh, alright~. I admit, while it is terribly amusing to watch you stub your toe against this particular metaphoric rock again and again, I do have other things to do today. So, what do you say?"

Shifting his weight of the sword, he held it up for Rin, who quickly snatched it before the clown had a chance to change his mind.

Mephisto chuckled at the way the teen immediately pressed the sword to his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around, and opened his mouth to say something, probably another insult, but stopped and looked up.

"Hmm,” he said, and flashed Rin another grin. “Might I suggest apologizing~?"

And then he vanished.

 

xXx

 

Egyn lay on the bed he had commandeered for his nap and stared dully at the wooden panels above him as the vestiges of his dream slipped from his mind.

The shouting from below continued, growing louder and louder. Slowly, he sat up.

"Don't."

Dead-eyed, he looked at his sister.

Iblis was seated at one of the tiny desks, reading a book that definitely wasn't hers, if the cartoonish figures on the paper cover were anything to go by. She didn't look up at him, engrossed in its contents.

"…That little shit…woke me up..."

His voice sounded foreign even to his own ears. Gravelly and foreboding, and not at all like his usual, easy tone. Iblis flipped to a new page.

"I know." The words did not soothe him. Iblis didn't really _do_ soothing. It just wasn't her style. "Try to calm down."

Egyn shook his head.

"I don't _want_ to 'calm down'." Egyn did not sound like a petulant child when he said this, absolutely not, the stupid little arched eyebrow on his sister's face be damned. "I _want_ to go break his teeth."

Iblis sighed, and finally lowered that damn book.

"Fine," she said uncaringly. "Do as you like. However, do not complain to me afterwards if things do not work out."

Egyn was out the door before she even finished her sentence.

Iblis shook her head. Honestly, that brother of hers…

Father would not be pleased with them if his precious creation got damaged, but she trusted Samael enough to step in if Egyn took things too far. Now then, she thought, turning back to the curious volume she'd acquired from one of the shelves.

_'Magic guilds', was it?_

 

xXx

 

Stomping through the hall, Egyn tried to ignore the tightness in his chest.

It would pass, it always did, but right now it was mingling with the ache of necrosis and the combination was pissing him off.

In this state, the prospect of having to go down a bunch of stairs and enduring more of that damned noise was instantly dismissed.

The fastest way was always straight ahead, so that's how he went.

 

xXx

 

Samael couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Rin's face as the boy clung to his sword.

His younger siblings were all quite adorable when upset, and this one was no exception. Just look at those puffed up cheeks!

Granted, the boy was dumber than a doornail - what part of King of Time did he not understand? - but that was fine. For now, at least. Stupid pawns, while aggravating, were easier to use, and the game was just starting to pick up.

Unable to resist teasing the boy some more, Samael opened his mouth just as there was a subtle spike in power above them. Oh, right.

"Hmm… Might I suggest apologizing~?"

Rin blinked at his remark with wide, confused eyes, and went still as a statue as time slowed to a halt. Only then, when there would be none to witness it, did Samael allow his face to contort in a pained grimace.

"…Ah, ahahaha~."

His blood was on fire, burning its way through every inch of his diseased body. That little game might not have been the brightest idea, not with his powers spread out the way they were, but oh well~

Samael took a few steps back, dabbed the blood dripping from his nose with a Hello Kitty handkerchief, and, once he'd disposed of that, snapped his fingers.

Rin had another three hundred and seventy-two milliseconds to look adorably baffled before the ceiling unceremoniously crashed down.

_"What the hell?!"_

Ignoring Rin's panicked shriek, Samael watched on with distaste as dust and plaster and splintered wood flew every which way.

Good grief. First Amaimon, then Lucifer, and now Egyn. Did none of his siblings have one single iota of respect for other people's property?

His bratty little brother emerged from the wreckage unscathed, albeit scowling. Oh, if that fool thought he was unhappy now, just wait until Samael was done with him. He'd been too lax before, that much was obvious, but he'd remind his siblings, exactly what their positions were.

Humans were frail and quick to break physically and mentally. They were also incredibly infuriating. Prior to Amaimon's little fit, Samael had had to settle for venting his frustration and murderous impulses in videogames. Or, if that simply wouldn't suffice, he'd indulge his baser side in some unfortunate pocket-dimension before returning to whatever meeting he'd been suffering through in the main timeline, his associates none the wiser.

Ah, the perks of being him~! ☆

During his musings, Egyn had zeroed in on their little brother, and was now advancing on the boy with single-minded purpose.

"Do me a favor, kid," the King of Water muttered darkly, "and shut the hell up!"

Then he punched him.

The force behind it sent Rin flying through the entryway, crashing in and then through the wall, and onto the courtyard before his body finally rolled to a stop. Ouch.

Sparing a quick glance at the body through the gaping hole in the wall, Samael determined the boy's life was in no serious peril and turned to his brother.

"Sleep well?" he asked blithely.

"Bite me!"

Samael made a show of thinking it over, mainly to prolong the scathing look his brother gave him. Yep, terribly annoying but oh so cute~! ♥︎

"Now that you mention it," Samael said, once he'd had enough, "I am feeling rather famished. Why don't you run along and fetch Iblis and the three of us can catch up while we wait for our dear dimwit of a little brother to wake up, hmm~?"

 

xXx

 

Bidding his feline friends goodbye for the day, Kuro hopped off the low stone wall and began his journey home.

True cross town was as lively as ever, with an array of brightly colored signs and buildings, and tons of people milling about.

Darting between strangers and half-familiar faces, he ran into an alley, vaulting over a pile of rubbish that hadn't been collected yet and narrowly avoiding the cloud of Coal Tar floating merrily above it.

The number of demons within the city had risen dramatically since the festival. From what Rin had told him, the Order was swamped trying to deal with them all, which also meant less time spent together and to Kuro, that was the real tragedy. He hoped they'd fix it soon. He missed playing with Rin.

Kuro was just about to take another of his backroads, when he spotted Yukio exiting a convenience store. With a happy cry, the Cat Sith jumped off the roof, landing perfectly in front of the teen.

***Yukio!!***

"Oh!" The surprise on Yukio's face quickly melted away. "It's you, Kuro. Are you going to the dorm?"

Kuro nodded and held his paw out in the direction of the school.

***Yeah, and you're going the wrong way! It's dinnertime!***

Yukio smiled a funny smile. It wasn't mean or anything, but to Kuro it looked…off somehow. But Yukio was strange like that sometimes, so Kuro shrugged it off. "Can you tell Nii-san I won't make it to dinner? I've got some work to do and I don't know when I'll be finished." Without waiting for a response, Yukio barged past him. "Thanks, Kuro."

***Eh? Hey! Yukio!!***

But Yukio was already gone, swallowed by the masses. With an unhappy yowl, Kuro turned around and continued walking.

If Yukio wanted to ignore family time that was his choice. Rin wouldn't like it, and the thought was almost enough to make Kuro chase after the boy and give him an earful. But since Yukio couldn't hear him the way Rin could, it would just be a waste of time.

Speaking of…

***Ah, I need to hurry! Rin's making miso steak tonight!***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope it was at least somewhat worth the wait. (^ ^;)
> 
> Lemme know what you think of the changes, and for those who are up-to-date with the manga...  
> Chapter 105...Ohmygod...just WHY?!  
> Goddamn fRoGs?!?!
> 
> Anyways, have a pleasant weekend~!


	5. Mephisto has issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold! tis a pre-Christmas miracle!  
> Actually no, I'm just late because December is killing me. Ahahaha, please send help...

_"Now that you mention it," Samael said, once he'd had enough, "I am feeling rather famished. Why don't you run along and fetch Iblis and the three of us can catch up while we wait for our dear dimwit of a little brother to wake up, hmm~?"_

 

xXx

 

Although the teasing tone gave it the semblance of a request, Egyn had several reasons to suspect his brother's words were anything but.

Long fingers, enveloped in a lavender glove, rapped a steady, fast-paced beat against the handle of his stupid umbrella. Eyes normally a mossy green were now as murky as seaweed and roiling with barely concealed malice. And lastly, there was his smile.

Having only ever inhabited one body, the Family had all had plenty of time to get acquainted with Samael's myriad of grins, smiles, and smirks; every one of which conveyed its own, highly nuanced meaning. This particular smile was one Egyn happened to know rather well, and its message was very simple, indeed.

_Shut up and do as you're told, or else…_

The wise thing would have been to nod. Say 'yes', or 'fine, ' or any other type of affirmation and be on his way. And had his head been just a little clearer, or his mood slightly better, Egyn would have done just that.

Unfortunately, it was not; so he didn’t.

Opening his mouth, the blue-haired demon was about to spout out any, if not all, of the two dozen spiteful retorts running through his head - because who the _hell_ did Samael think Egyn was?! His fucking errand boy?! - when he was interrupted by the sound of a throat pointedly being cleared.

Iblis descended the last few steps, coming to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. There she made a show of taking in the now open ceiling - bits of which were still crumbling off -, then the broken wall, lingering for just a moment on the unmoving form of the teenager outside, before settling on Egyn and giving him yet another look he was intimately familiar with: immense vexation.

The corner of his mouth lifting in a lopsided smile, Egyn shrugged.

"Oops?"

Iblis rolled her eyes, turned to Samael and said, "I'll see to dinner," then walked off, avoiding debris and disappearing down a hallway Egyn could only have guessed led to the kitchens. Spotting his chance, he began edging backwards in the same direction.

"So since it's your school and all, I'll just..."

Samael leveled him with a smile and stare so icy they had even the King of Water stopping dead in his tracks.

Fuck.

 

xXx

 

To say that Rin was no stranger to pain would have to be the biggest understatement of the century.

The sixteen-year-old could count - and on one hand, no less - the total number of days he _hadn't_ sported at least some scrapes and bruises. Worrying? Most definitely. Especially once you took into consideration his accelerated healing.

And things had only worsened with the awakening of his powers.

In the last few months, Rin had been cut, beaten, stabbed, and, on one more memorable occasion, had his foot literally severed from his body by a ponytailed S.O.B. who could give even Mephisto's garish ass a run for his money in the tacky clothes department.

Seriously, white, white, and oh, you know what would _really_ complete that look? Some more.

Goddamn.

White!

…Where was he going with this again?

Ah right, pain, and lots of it. The one, and probably only, upside of which was that Rin's threshold for it was nothing to scoff at.

So with that thought in mind, holy crap did his face HURT!

Groaning miserably, Rin rolled onto his back, hands instinctively reaching for the source of the pain. This, as it turned out, was the bloody, mangled up thing he supposed had, at some point, been his nose.

Wasn't his life just friggin' awesome…

Red-stained fingers prodding as gently as they could - which, sadly, wasn't very - Rin winced at the unnatural angle and the sharpening of pain. Carefully taking hold, the teen clenched his jaw and began counting in his head.

_One_

_Two_

On _three_ , he wrenched sideways, his sharp intake of breath mingling with the sickening crunch of bone as he realigned the parts. The vapor, previously rising from his bruised flesh in a small but steady stream, immediately thickened, and within seconds the pain had faded completely.

"Tha's better," he mumbled, sitting up to look around with a dazed expression, absently wiping at the blood still on his face with the back of his hand.

The courtyard was empty save for him. Not unusual, given that this part of the campus rarely saw much foot traffic, if any.

Occasionally, students would wander by - usually lost on their way to somewhere else. They'd stand right about where Rin now sat, take one look at the creepy old dormitory, and make an immediate U-turn, wisely returning to their own, nicer dorms. Ones that didn't have grimy floors, faulty wiring, or unpleasant smells of questionable origins and _waitjustonedamnminute!_

Eyes widening at the memories that came rushing back, Rin jumped to his feet-

And immediately toppled over, his head spinning round and round like a carousel at a fair.

Grumbling cursus under his breath, the teen waited for the vertigo to pass before trying again. This time he succeeded, and with legs that grew steadier with every step, he stumbled to where Kurikara lay in the dirt.  

That blue-haired freak better be prepared for the ass-kicking of lifetime.

 

xXx

 

Having retrieved his sword, Rin figured his best bet for locating the blue-haired freak was the old dormitory, and it was as he looked at the old building that he noticed something (possibly) important.

Someone had fixed the wall.

It wasn't your everyday, run-of-the-mill fixed, either, since no matter how long he stared at it, Rin - who had a fairly good idea of which particular section of wall he'd been sent careening through - couldn't find the faintest evidence of it having been damaged in the first place. None of the tell-tale signs, like fresh plaster or bits of debris, were there, and as he got closer, he could see where the material had been worn down by age and the elements.

This left him with two possible explanations:

Option 1, he was currently asleep, probably drooling on his textbook, and all of this was just a weird, hunger-induced dream. One he would awake from the moment his teacher noticed his less than attentive state and smacked him on the head with a paper fan. It would be embarrassing, not to mention a pain in the ass once word got around to Yukio or Bon or Shura or Shiemi - and wow, those were actually quite a few people concerned with Rin's education - and they chewed him out, but Rin could deal with that.

Option 2 was a lot less elaborate, a lot more annoying, and could be summarized in one, three syllable word.

_Mephisto._

Growling audibly - because screw _that_ guy! - Rin glared at the unassuming double doors. 'Might I suggest apologizing'? The hell kind of half-assed warning was that?! God, but Rin was just _so done_ with this crap.

All he wanted was to sit down and have some damn food - and for his life not to follow the shitty plot of an effing shounen manga but what were the chances of that happening any time soon - and yet here he was; hungry, angry, and once more having to deal with that stupid clown and his stupider stunts.

Well no more.

Blue flames erupted as Rin drew his sword. His demonic features grew more pronounced, and his tail sprang loose, curling in the air behind him. With a swift kick, the door slammed open and Rin barged inside. There he faltered, cat-eyes widening at a sight so strange, so unexpected, so-

…funny?

Mephisto paid him absolutely no mind, focus entirely taken up by the bedazzled, purple Nintendo DS in his hands.

He was sitting in the middle of the hall, lounging on a ridiculously ornate chair - all plush red velvet and gold ornamentation because why not - his feet up and resting on an equally ornate and slightly more ridiculous footstool.

The blue-haired guy - and damn, Rin's memory clearly hadn't done justice to how blue it was! Or how dumb-looking. What was up with that freaky wave-curl??? - was there, too, hunched over and kneeling on the floor. The guy - Rin was just going to call him Smurf-bastard from now on, both for convenience's sake and plain pettiness - was dressed in a typical Japanese cleaning apron, complete with indoor slippers and bandana, the latter fastened carefully behind the aforementioned dumbass curl.

Held loosely in his hand was a simple wooden brush, which had been scrubbing furiously at the tiles right up until the moment Rin appeared. Now Smurf-bastard just sat there, staring at him with a wide, almost awe-struck expression that was beyond creepy. Thankfully - or maybe not - it was only there for a split second, and then the other's face twisted up in a superior smirk, eyes sparkling with forced amusement.

"Yo, dipshit. How's the fa-blmpf. MGFHR!!!"

"Quiet." Mephisto didn't bother to raise his eyes from his game, even as Smurf-bastard clawed furiously at the cartoonishly large, pink band-aid that had suddenly appeared and clamped itself over his mouth, cutting him off mid-insult. "And keep cleaning. I want this entire place spotless."

At last he put the game away, glancing down to meet the poisonous purple eyes of Smurf-bastard.

"Understood?"

Smurf-bastard glared daggers at the demon, then huffed angrily - well, as much as he could with his mouth still covered - and resumed cleaning even more violently than before.

"You're to join us when you're finished," Mephisto added, rising from his chair - which disappeared as if on cue, taking the footstool and the game console with it - and schooling his features into an overly friendly expression.

"Now then," he said, sounding and looking pleased as punch. "Shall we go, Okumura-kun~?"

Rin had exactly enough time to get out a hasty “Eh?” before Mephisto snapped his fingers and the teen was falling backwards into a comfortable chair, one that was heavy enough not to topple with his sudden appearance. Hands gripping the armrests reflexively, Rin’s surprise turned to alarm as thick metal cuffs clamped down on Rin's wrists, effectively trapping him. Thrashing against the bindings, his frustration and panic grew with the realization that the metal was a lot stronger than regular steel.

" _Hey!_ What the hell, Mephisto?!” he snarled, trying desperately to mask the tremor in his voice with anger. Not a difficult task as Rin _was_ practically fuming, blue flames licking at his skin, especially when Mephisto just smiled and sat down on the opposite sight of the elaborately set up dining table. It reminded Rin of the ‘dinner party’ from a couple weeks ago, the memory doing absolutely nothing to alleviate the negative emotions raging inside the teen.

“Well I can’t have you running off, now can I?” the clown asked innocently, like it was perfectly normal to kidnap people and slap cuffs on them. Crap, maybe the twisted freak thought it was!

The demon lay Kurikara, sheathed once more - and when the hell had he done that?! – on the table next to a very expensive looking pitcher. “But you look uncomfortable-”

“No shit!!”

“-so allow me.”

He snapped his fingers.

The metal of the cuffs disappeared from sight, covered with neon pink fluff.

“Motherf-,” Rin spluttered. “What is _wrong_ with you?!?!”

Someone sighed.

Rin’s head snapped to the side, realizing for the first time they weren't alone, and ethereal blue met smoldering ruby.

A woman stood before the counter which separated the kitchen from the cafeteria, arms crossed over a red and black dress that fell just shy of the floor on one side. A hairpin with a stylized dragon on the end secured a loose, messy bun, ringlets of which escaped to frame her pretty but stern-looking face.

"Would a summation suffice?" the woman asked evenly, tilting her head a fraction in Mephisto’s direction. "Or would you prefer a more comprehensive list?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that's it for 2018 I guess. Not to worry, I will finish this fic, and it'll be hella long. I have plans, people. Many plans.   
> (Which change like, 4 times a week but whatever)  
> So yeah, happy holidays (to those who celebrate) and may you have a brilliant 2019!  
> Laters~  
> PS: if anyone feels like leaving a review, thanks a bunch! I love reading those things :3


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